I am also experimenting with different strings like D addario, Ernie Ball, Dean Markley, DR, Dunlop, and I ended up with Dunlop. Currently I'm using the Kerry King set. Also pretty nice they give you an extra top string. A .46 and a .52 so you can choose when downtuning.
I used Dean Markley Blue Steels before, and they were also nice, but I prefer the Dunlop strings!

I just put some Ernie Ball Cobalts on my ESP KH guitar and i actually like them alot, great tone and easy to play, feels good on the fingers., I also have to have that chunky sound, I love thrash, heavy metal and that's what i play. I usually use GHS, they make some of the best strings I've ever used, but I have to admit, I love the Cobalts I just put on my guitar. Easy bend and holds it's tone very well and finally the price is coming down. I paid like $7 + change for mine, fi not give GHS a try, you won't be disappointed!!!

I like D'Addarios myself, but since you don't like them, I guess the only advice I can give is that I found Dean Markley Nickel Steels to be pretty bad. Maybe it was just me, but those strings broke on me like fucking spaghettis.

The GHS Boomers work good for that, they're heavy on the low E, or bass side and regular on the treb side, bottom E. As I stated earlier I just put in some EB Colbalts and they're still doing dang good, haven't tried much more except Daddarios, once, but couldn't tell you good or bad on those, it was soooo long ago and I do wanna try some Dunlops myself and see/ hear what they're like, but I swear by GHS, tuff and long winded too. Used 1 set for a year and didn't sound too flat or empty, but I also wasn't playing as hard or long on those, but still a good reference, good luck in ur search...

Strings are so incredibly subjective that it's hard to ever get any good insight on the internet. Frankly, I find you get the biggest differences in feel and tone when you change A, the gauge, and B, the physical properties of the strings. You know, things like core type, wrapping type, materials, coatings, etc. Cobalt versus traditional EB Slinky is a good example of change in physical properties.

Now, all that being said, when you get down to apples to apples comparisons of equivalent strings, let's say 9-42 nickel plated strings from most big brands, the difference is negligible. I know there are some who would scoff at that, and fine, they're entitled to, but I've toured as a guitar tech and I've played them all. You might say that I have no feeling in my hands or I'm tone deaf, but I honestly believe that people get so fired up wanting to have "their" brand, or psyching themselves into liking a product so much based on emotions, that the subjectivity takes control.

My hypothesis is that if you took 3 identical guitars and put strings on them that are identical other than the brand name on the package, and had 100 guitar players do blindfold tests, you'd get results that are all over the place. Furthermore, I'd love to trick someone with a blindfold, and hand them the same guitar with the same strings three times in a row, and tell them what strings they are "supposed" to be, and see if they say stuff like, oh yeah, hear how much brighter that is? Or wow, these feel much more slinky to me.

I could be entirely wrong, of course.

On the subject of recommendations, I'd say nail down a gauge you like best, and then go from there. Once you have that in hand, (10-46, 11-52 or whatever) try some really far out stuff. The reviews for Cobalts are all over the place, but at least you tried them. Good on ya. I am testing a set myself right now, and so far so good. But I'm not wowwed or angered like most seem to be with them. They just seem to be another set of Slinkys, and I've burned through hundreds of sets of those. Which by the way, I've never noticed any accelerated oxidizing. Every player has different pH sweat, don't forget.

Maybe grab a set of DR Tight-Fit strings. Or a set of Elixir 10's or 11's. I'd try Nanoweb to start. Polyweb is a bit extreme.

No, I think ur right about it. I love GHS, because that's what I'm ised to using, so I put my faith and loyality in them, just like the EB cobalts sound really good to me, but they're not that much different than my GHSs, so I as you 1st victim, lol, believe you 100%. Thanks, made alot of sense to me...

personally im not a huge fan of cobalts. to me, they are a bit fussy when it comes to changing tuning and they take a bit longer to stretch out when u put a new set on.
I hear a lot of people say that ernie ball's dont last a long time but for me they last a good amount of time. D'addarios are decent strings. not too bad.
its all a matter of taste really. my favorite brand is rotosound by far. not too many places carry them though but go for the gauge you want and then go company to company. i would recommend 10-52s or even 11-48s. D'addario has a set of 11-49

Well to be perfectly honost with you, been using the EB Cobalts and now I don't like 'em. The top strings are hard to bend and have very 'lil action, the bottom 3 are ok, but I'm going to try some Dunlops my next time. So, what i said before about the EB Cobalts, forget it, I'll never get these again...

if u don't like the cobalts , use the regular Ernie balls . try power slinky or any u like , but try the "normal" Ernie's ! they're great and maybe the ones u t looking for . I don't think cobalts can be compared to the normal Ernie's , since they're real new and supposed to be different .

Yeah, way different. They sound real good, just too thick to bend easily and I got the 10-48s, so those are pretty slinky, I'm using that same guage in my GHS Boomers and I can bend them up to scratch my nose, lol, a bit of an exaggeration there, but you know what i mean. I do wanna try some Dunlops, what's ur opinion on those? I'll be buying strings next week. Thanks for the info dude and talk at ya laterz...

yeah I know what u mean :)
I had dunlops longer time ago in "heavier" size . I think it's 11-48 right ?
anyway I can't remember that good , I just know that I hadn't had any problems with em and they're pretty cool . nevertheless I stayed with Ernie's . dude , it's what legends play ... ;)
when it comes to strings I think u can't test enough , and u should give all ( or most ) of em a try ! just go ahead and get them , I guess u won't regret it !
looking forward to hear your opinion on them !

I like the 10-48s that way you still get that heavier sound, plus the bendability of a smaller string. I usually use the GHS Boomers and have used those over the years and I do like them but I heard that Dunlaps have a heavier sound and last a long time also. My KH 202 has a Floyd Rose and I hate restringing those, so I try to avoid the string change. I wipe them down when I'm done playing them and keep up with guitar hygeine, the whole 9 yards. Ok will drop you a note on the dunlaps as soon as i order them and give 'em a try. Later on Metaldude, thanks for ur opinion and will keep them in mind...:cool:

Just a quick update "form" out of chaos, the heat and humidity in Atlanta have been pretty merciless, and just in the last week the Cobalt strings on my M-II have turned brownish black and are virtually unplayable. I anchor my picking hand on the low E right on top of the bridge pickup, and at that area the strings look like they were found in the wreckage of the Titanic.

So as much as I wanted to like the Cobalts, and they were pretty good for a week or two, I don't feel they are a good investment, especially considering price. That's being as objective as I can be. I just bought a pack of anti-rust Elixir Nano 9-42 to replace. They will stay great for at least 3 months.

I use the Ernie Ball 10-52 set #2215. I used these for all the guitar tracks on the new CD. Sometimes I replace the plain 3rd with a wound 3rd for rhythm tracks. I need to try the Cobalt strings, I have them on order. Been hearing lots of good things about them.